Scoring breakdown

Luxury cars may conjure images of big, opulent machines, but more recently the prestige players have been looking at the opposite end of the spectrum. Small is beautiful, or - at least - the newfound sales success and ability to introduce people to a premium brand can be.

Mercedes-Benz has been represented in the entry-level luxury market since 1998 by the A-Class. More recently the B-Class - same concept but slightly bigger - joined the scene.

The original B essentially replaced the A-Class, albeit temporarily, with a born-again A due later this year. The latest B, too, is all new and brings fresh thinking, albeit in a familiar shell.